Scraper loader apparatus



u y 6- I T. F. MCCARTHY SCRAPER LOADER APPARATUS Filed Feb. 15, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J ly 9, 1946- T. F. M CARTHY SCRAPER LOADER APPARATUS Filed Feb. 15, 1945 u y 1946- T. F. MCCARTHY 2,403,817

SCRAP Bf; LOADER APPARATUS Patented July 9, 1946 OFFICE 2,403,817 SCRAPER LOADER APPARATUS Timothy F. McCarthy, Indiana, Pa. Application February 15, 1945, Serial No; 577,971

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in scraper loader apparatus particularly adapted to handle loose material in mines underground, and has as its principal objects to provide an improved form of head frame adapted to guide a scoop or scraper to pick up loose material from the working face of a mine where the bottom is irregular or rolling.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel and efiicient form of extensible and flexible head frame for a scraper, arranged to carry the scraper over rolls in the'mine bottom and to guide the scraper to load out the material'over the top of the roll and then by movement of the head frame to guide the scraper to load out the roll and the loose material on the ground-{after the roll has been shot. a I

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a movable head frame'for a scraper loader apparatus including a guide frame extending along'the working face of a mine and along opposite ribs thereof, and having a bottom pan extending outwardly therefrom, which is adapted to have the scraper movable therealong, to form a flexible ramp or roadway for the scraper, to carry the scraper over an uneven mine bottom.

An application Serial No. 568,119, filed by me on December 14, 194 i, shows a formof extensible head frame somewhat similar to that of my present invention. The head frame of my present invention, however, difiers from thatshown in my prior application in that it provided with an outwardly extending pan ing ramp or roadway for the forming a support scraper, tocarry the scraper over an uneven mine bottom and is also transversely hinged, to permit the head frame to more readily conform to the mine bottom.

My invention may be more clearly understood with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a material handling apparatus constructedin accordance with my invention, showing theapparatus in positionfor loading from a mine room;

Figure 2' is a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view taken, subst ofFigure 1; h V v Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail plan view of the loading apparatus, with certain parts broken away-and certain other substantially horizontal section;

Figureiis a transverse sectional-view taken substantially a long -line 4 "4 of Figure 3, -showingthe. scraperin-transverse sectionand in a differantially along line Z2I parts shown in ent position along the head frame than in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view showing certain details of one of the supporting ,jacks for the head frame and showing the construction of the hinged portion of the head frame in substantially longitudinal section; v

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail plan view with certain parts broken away and certain other parts taken substantially along line 1-1 of Figure 3 ;v

Figure 8v is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially along line 8-8 of Figure 3;

I Figure 9 is a fragmentary detail transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 9-3 of Figure 3; and j Figure 10 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken'substantially along line Iii-l0 of Figure 3.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, a head frame lfl is shown as being positioned adjacent a working face of a mine to'form a reaction member for and to guide a scraper'l l into and across the working face, to pick up mined material, such as coal, therefrom.

The scraper H is herein shown as being a hinged type of scraper having an inner side wall 12 substantially conforming to the curved form ofrthe :head frame In, and having an outwardly and forwardly curved outerside wall l3 pivotally connected to the rear end of said inner side wall. Said side walls are connectedtogether at their forward ends by meansof a pair of toggle links I' l; Ill-"pivotally connected to the forward inner sidesof'said sidewalls, adjacent the lower ends thereof. A head rope l5 isprovided to pull said scraper in a forward direction; Said head rope is connected to a connecting member l6 which is slida'bly connected to said toggle links for move ment therealong as the angle of said head rope with respect to said scraper changes, to cause said head 'rope'to hold said scraper in engagement with said head frame. Said scraper is of a form outer side wall l3 "of said scraper and serves'to' move said scraper in a reverse direction, to position itto obtain a new bite on the material it isdesired to'load and to form a reaction means for, the 's'icraper as it travels about said' head ramaandtoaid in holding said scraper in the proper relation with respect to said head frame during travel of said scraper thereabout.

The head frame In includes a guide frame [9 extending along one rib of the working place, a

guide frame 20 extending along the opposite rib cf the working place, and a forward guide rail 2| adjustably and detachably connected to said guide frames l9 and 20, to form a means for guiding the scraper along the working face of the mine from one side frame member to the other, for picking up loose material from the working face while reacting against said guide rail 2|. Said guide rail 2! is detachably connected to the guide frames I9 and :28, to permit the space between said frames to be opened to receive and store a cutting machine (not shown) during the loading operation, and .may be .of various lengths of working places. It may also be sectional, if desired, as in my application Serial No. 568,119.

.The guide frames l9 and 20 .are .of the same construction except the guide frame I9 is arranged to extend along theleft rib of the workingplace and the guide frame '20 is-arranged to extend along the right rib of the working place, so one of said guide .frames only will be described in detail herein and :the .same partnumbers will be applied to similar parts of each :of said guide frames.

The guide frame 15 has a longitudinally extending guide rail 23 spaced above the ground, and herein shown as being substantially parallel to the left-hand rib ofthe working place during the loading operation. .Said guide rail is herein shown as being constructed from a channel opening towards the ground and has inwardly curved forward and :rear ends, .and is adapted to be engaged by the inner sidewall 12 of the scraper II and form a guide means for said scraper H "as itmoves towards or away from the working face. A pluralityof support :members 24, '24 form a support :for said :guide .rail and space it above the ground. Said support members will hereinafter be more clearly 'described as this specification proceeds, :and rest on and are secured to a bottom pan "25, extending laterally from .and along-said guide :rail and forming a vramp or :roadway along which the scraper I travels.

A longitudinally extending beam 26 is secured to the inner end .of the inwardly curved 'rear end of the guide rail 23,and extends forwardly therefrom in substantially parallel zrelation=with respect to the rectilinear portion of said guide rail. Said .be'am'is herein shown as being tubular, and is connected at its :forward end to a transversely extending member v2! connected at its end opposite said beam to said ,jguide rail 23. A piston rod 29, extensible from a longitudinally extendingcylinder 30, is connected to said member 21 andserves'to advance or :retractibly move said guide frame with respect .to the working face. Said cylinder extends through and is secured to a bracket 3| extending outwardly from a jack 33, which is adapted 'to .be interposed between the mine roof and the mine bottom, to hold said guidefrarne 19in position on the ground. Said .cylinder'is'supported adjacent its rear ;or head end on a bracket '32 slidably mounted on the beam .26. Thus when the jack -33:is held 'in a stationary position, between the mine roof and themine bottom, the admission of fluid .under pressure to the head end of the cylinder '30 willadvance said guide frame towards the working face. In a like manner, the

secured to its upper end extends from said piston. A bifurcated member .39 depends from the lower end of said cylinder and has a floor engaging shoe 40 transversely pivoted thereto.

' 'The bracket 3| is slidably mounted on the cylinder 34 for vertical adjustment with respect thereto. Said bracket has an outwardly extending-and .upwardly projecting support portion 43, which extends upwardly along the inner flange of the channel of the guide rail 23. Said upwardly projecting support portion forms an adjustable support for said guide rail on said bracket and serves to .lift said guide rail and the bottom pan25 above thelground, upon vertical-movement of said-bracket along said cylinder.

The bracket .31, .is vertically moved along the cylinder'34, or is held in fixed relation with respect thereto by means of a cylinder -44 having a piston rod 45 extensible from its lower end. Said cylinder is mounted in a rearwardly projecting part 46 of said bracket 3|, and said piston rod is mounted at its lower-end in a bracket 41 projecting :rearwardly from the member 39 (see Figure .5). When fluid under pressure is admitted to the head end of said cylinder 44, said bracket '3! will be vertically moved along the cylinder 34 in an obvious manner.

The beam 26 extends through ayoke 5'0, mounted at its ends in the outer end :of the bracket 3!, and is 'slidably supported in said .yoke on a roller 5|. Said roller has "a convex face forming a support for said beam, and is rotatably mounted on -a transversely iextending cap screw 52, which serves to securiethe lower end of said yoke to said bracket (see Figure '4).

The .rear part of said guide. frame is held in position by means of a fluid jack 5 3, similar to the jack 3'3 but having no elevating cylinder associated therewith. Sincesaid jack '54 is like the. jack .33, it .need not herein be shown or described in detail.

The support members 24, 24, for the guide rail 23, each have an upwardly projecting support portion 55, which extends within the channel of said guide rail andabuts the inside of the-outer web of .the channel of saidguiderail. Saidsupport portion .is .secured to said guide rail, as by welding, xto support saidguide rail .on said bottom pan in vertically spaced -relation with respect thereto. Said support members each have a lower inwardly extending recessed portion 59 having a sheave 60 mounted therein on a vertical pin 6|. Said sheave is adapted to form an antifriction guide for the head and tail ropes of the scraper, and the advance outer lower portion of the base of saidsu-pport member extends beyond the flange ofsaid roller and is'inclined upwardly from said bottom plate at an angle herein shown as being in alignment with the angle of the flange of said sheave, to deflect the head or tail ropes for the scraper into the groove of said sheave, when slack is taken up On said ropes. The advance face of the support portion 55 of said support member is inclined inwardly from the outer side of the guide rail 23 so as to deflect the head or tail ropes into the groove of said sheave.

The forward portion ofthe guide frame [9 is Said forward portion of said guide frameincludes an inwardly curved guide rail 63, forming a forward extension of the guide rail 23. Said guide rail 23 has a dependingforwardly projecting hinge member 64 which interleaves a depending rear-wardly projecting hinge member 65 of the guid rail 63 and which is pivotall connected thereto by a pivotal pin 66. A tube BQ-forms a forward extension of the beam 26 and is pivotally connected to the forward end of said beam by means of a pivotal pin 18 extending through interleaving hinge members 1|, 1?. projecting forwardly and rearwardly from said beam 26 and tube 58, respectively. Tire pivotal axis of said tube 69 is coaxial with the pivotal axis of the inwardly curved guide rail 65. Said tube 69 intersects said guide rail at its forward end and is suitably secured thereto (see Figure 3) The inner end of the guide rail 63 is curved inwardly at a sharper angle than the main portion thereof and is supported just before thissharply curved inner end on a support member 61 somewhat similar to the support members 24, 24. Said guide rail is also engaged and detachably supported by an outwardly extending and upwardly projecting end portion of a support bracket 13 on a headed pin 13a extending inwardly from said end portion of said support bracket. Said pin is adapted to be engaged by a slotted portion of the inner flange of said guide rail 63 and its head is adapted to engage the out side of the flange of said guide rail to retain said guide rail in position on said bracket. Said bracket is slidably mounted on a vertical cylinder 14 of a, fluid Jack 1 5;much like the bracket an is mounted on the cylinder'34 ofithe jack 33 (see Figure 9). s

The jack 15 is similar to the jack 33 so need not herein be'shown or described in detail. A cylinder 16 having a piston rod 19 extensible from its lower end depends from a rearwardly extending upper projection 11 of the bracket 13. The lower end of said piston rod engages a support 86 projecting rearwardly from the lower end of said cylinder 14. The admission of fluid under pressure to the head end of said cylinder will thus elevate said bracket and the forward portion of the head frame In.

A curved bottom pan 8| extends outwardly from and conforms to the curve of the guide rail 63. A hinge member 82 is secured to th bottom of said pan 8| and interleaves a hinge member 83 mounted on the forward end of the bottom pan 25. A pivotal pin 84 connects the interleaving portions of said hinge members together. The advance end of said bottom pan 8| overlaps a bottom plate 85, secured to the underside of 'a bottom pan 86, which extends outwardly from the guide rail 2| and is adapted to support the scraper during movement therealong. LArelatively loose connection is provided between said pan8| and said plate 85, to permit movement of one pan with respect to the other and to permit the bottom pan 8| to move about the axis of the hinge pin 84, in substantially parallel relation with-respect to the guide rail 63. Said connection includes a bearing member 81 depending from said bottom pan 8| and extending through an elongated arcuate slot 88 formed in said bottom plate. A plate 88 is securedto the bottom of the bearingmember 81, to hold said pan 8 and plate 85 in connected relation with respect to each other. Enough'clearance is provided be- .6 tween said plate and the bottom to provide a sloppy joint.

The bottom pan 86 extends along the guide rail 2| and forms a continuation of the pan 8|; The

of the plate 1 end of said pan 86 opposite from said pan 8| overlaps a plate 96, secured to the bottom of the inner end of a curved bottom pan 9|, which is similar to the pan 8|. A loose pin and slot connection similar to the connection between the pans 8| and 86, and indicated generally by reference character 92, is provided between said pan 86 and plate 90.

The bottom pan 8|- and plate 85 are provided with vertically aligned elongated curved slotted portions 83, 94, respectively, spaced inwardly from the slot 88, through which extends the lower end of a lug depending from the support member 61 for the inner end of the guide rail 83. A retaining plate 96 is secured to the underside of said lug to loosely connect said pan and plates to the underside of said support member, so said pan and plates may have limited freedom of movement with respect to said support member and will move vertically with said support member upon vertical movement thereof.

The right-hand end of the bottom pan 86 is slidably connected with the underside of the right-hand support member 61, to move vertically with said support member upon the admission of fluid under pressure to the cylinder 16 associated with the right-hand jack 15, by means of a loose pin and slot connection (not shown) which is similar to the pin and slot connection connecting the pan ill and plate 85 to the left-hand support member 61, so need not herein be shown or described in detail.

A support member 91 similar to the support member is secured to the underside of said "guide rail as by welding, and is slidably mounted on the upper side of said curved pan 8|, to allow for relative movement between said curved pan and said guide rail upon movement of said pan and guide rail about their respective hinged connections.

The guide rail 2| is formed from a channel, the flanges of which extend upwardly, and has curved outer ends substantially conforming'to the curve of the curved guide rail 63. The lefthand end of said guide rail 2| is detachably and slidably connected to the upper side of said curved guide rail 63, to permit independent movement of the guid frame |9 with respect to the guide frame 28, and to provide an uninterrupted guide for the scraper when said guide frames are in various positions of adjustmentwith respect to each other. As herein shown, a block I08 is mounted in the space between the flanges of said guide rail and is provided with an elongated curved slot ||l|, conforming to the form of the slotted portions 93 and 530i the bottom pan 8| and the plate 85. A pin I83, secured to the guide rail 63 adjacent the support member 67 and projectingupwardly therefrom, is adapted to extend through said curved slot, to form a slidable guide for said guide rail 2 and also to permit longitudinally slidable and pivotal movement of said guide rail 2| with respect to said guide rail 63, so the curved advance portion of said guide rail 2| mayforma continuation of the curved forward end of said guide-rail 63, in all positions of said guide rails with respect to each other. The right-hand end of said guide raili-I is slidably and pivotally connected to the curved inner portion of the right-hand guide rail 63 by means of a pin and slot connection'indicated generally by reference character HM.

In operation the apparatus is set up in the working place much like the apparatus shown and described in my application Serial No. 568,119. The guide frames [9 and 2! may be independently advanced during the loading operation, as described in my prior application, to enable the entire working face to be completely loaded out by the scraper ll. Where a roll is encountered on the bottom, the head frame may be advanced by the cylinders 3!) until the loading pan 86 is as close as possible to said roll. The lacks 33, '33 and 15, 15 being interposed between the mine roof and the mine bottom to hold the head frame in position, fluid under pressure may be admitted to the cylinders 44, A l and 15, i5, if the roll extends entirely across the working place, to incline the pans 25, 25 upwardly from their rear ends and to elevate the bottom pans 8| and Bliso their bottoms are just above the top of the roll. Timbers may then be placed under said pans to hold them in an elevated position, and fluid pressure may then be released from the cylinders I6, 16 to permit the pans BI and B6 to rest on said timbers. The jacks l5, 15 may then be released from the mine roof. The jacks 33, 33 being in engagement with the mine roof and fluid pressure being held in the cylinders 44, 44 to hold the guide frame IS in an inclined position, the entire head frame may be advanced by the admission of fluid under pressure to the head ends of the cylinders 3t, 36, to advance said bottom pans over the top of the roll and permit them to rest thereon. If desired, loose coal may be 'shoveled under said bottom pans, or timbers or mine ties may be placed thereunder, to form a temporary support therefor. The working face may then be shot down onto the loading pans 8|, B6 and 9!. The scraper H may then be moved along said head frame on said bottom pans, to load out the loose material up to the level of said pans. When this loose material has been loaded out, the jacks 15, I5 and 54, 54 may be released from the mine roof and the head frame l may be retractibly moved, by admitting fluid under pressure to the piston rod ends of the cylinders 30, 3%! and releasing it from the head ends thereof, until the bottom pans Bi and 86 have been moved off the roll on the bottom. The roll may then be shot down and the head frame may again be advanced by the admission of fluid under pressure to the head ends of the cylinders 36, 30 and may be held in position by the jacks 15, i and 54, 54, to permit the scraper H to load out the roll. The head frame may then be further advanced to permit the scraper to load out the loose material in advance of the roll which was left when the bottom pans 8| and 86 were in an elevated position on top of the roll.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which my invention maybe embodied, it will be understood that the construction thereof and the arrangement of the various parts may be altered without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Furthermore, I do not wish to be construed as limiting my invention to the specific embodiment illustrated, excepting as it may be limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a head frame for guiding a scraper to pick :up loose material from the Working face of a mine, a guide frame adapted to extend along one rib of the working place, a bottom pan extending outwardly from said guide frame and forming a supporting roadway for the scraper, to carry said scraper over an uneven mine bottom, a stationary jack adapted to be interposed between the ground and the mine roof for holding said guide frame in position during loading, and means mounted on said jack for elevating said guide frame and bottom pan to place said bottom pan on top of a roll on the mine bottom, to guide the scraper to move in a plane disposed above said roll and load out material above said roll.

2. In a head frame for guiding a scraper to pick up loose material from the working face of a mine, a guide frame adapted to extend alon one rib of the working place, a bottom pan extending outwardly from said guide frame and forming a supporting roadway for said scraper, to carry said scraper over an uneven mine bottom, said guideframe and bottom pan being transversely pivoted to permit said guide frame to conform to an uneven mine bottom, a stationary jack for holding said guide frame in position during the loading operation, a movable jack for holding the forward end of said guide frame in position, and means mounted on said jacks and independently operable to elevate the forward end of said guide frame and hold it in an elevated position to permit the forward end of said guide frame to extend along the top of a roll on the mine bottom, to support the scraper for loading from the top of said roll.

3. In a head frame for guiding a scraper to pick up loose material from the working face of a mine, a guide frame adapted to extend along one rib of the working place, a bottom pan extending outwardly from said guide frame and forming a supporting roadway for said scraper, to carry said scraper over an uneven mine bottom, a stationary jack adapted to be interposed between the ground and the mine roof for holding said guide frame in position during loading, transversely pivoted connections in-said guide frame and bottom pan adjacent the forward ends thereof, to permit said guid frame to conform to an uneven mine bottom, astationary jack for holding said guide frame in position during the loading operation, means connected with said stationary jack for positively moving said guide frame with respect to said jack along the ground, a movable .jack connected with the forward end of said guide frame for holding the forward end of said guide frame in position during loading, and a fluid cylinder and piston mounted on each of said jacks, adapted to elevate said'guide frame and position it to conform to an uneven mine bottom so it may form a supporting roadway for the scraper, to carry said scraper over an uneven mine bottom.

4. In a head frame for guiding a scraper to pick up loose material from "the working face of a mine, a guide frame extending along each rib of the Working place, means adjustably connecting said guide frames together and permitting independent advancing movement of one guide frame with respect to the other including a transverse guide rail adapted to extend along the working face, and a separate bottom pan extending outwardly from each of said guide frames and from said guide rail and forming a supporting roadway to carry the scraper over'irregularities on the mine bottom during travel of said scraper up to, along, and away from the working face.

5. In a head frame for guiding a scraper to pick up loose material from the working face of a mine, a guide frame extending along each rib of the working place, means adjustably connecting said guide frames together including a transverse guide rail adapted to extend along the working face, and a separate bottom pan extending outwardly from each of said guide frames and from said guide rail and formin a supporting roadway to carry the scraper over irregularities on the mine bottom during travel of said scraper up to. along, and away from the working face, and transverse pivoted connections in said guide frames and said bottom pans which extend therealong, to permit said guide rail and said bottom pan extending therealong to conform to an uneven mine bottom and to be placed on too of irre ularities thereon.

6. In a head frame for guiding a scra er to pick up loose material from the working face of a .mine, a uide frame extending along each rib of the working place, means adiustably connecting said guide frames together includin a trans verse guide rail adapted to extend along the working face, and a separate bottom pan extending outwardly from each of said guide frames, another bottom pan extending outwardly from said guide rail, said bottom pans forming asupporting roadway to carry the scraper over irregularities on the mine bottom during travelof said scraper up to, along, and away from the working face, a separate stationary holding jack for holding each of said guide frames in position, said jacks being adapted to be interposed between the ground and the mine roof, and

' amine, a guide frame extending along each rib of the working place, means adjustably connecting said guide frames together including a transmeans mounted on said jacks for elevating the forward portions of said guide frames to place said bottom pan, which extends along said guide rail and the working face, into position to be placed on top of a roll on the mine bottom, to

support said scraper during movement over said roll.

'7. In a head frame for guiding a scraper to pick up loose material from the working face of a mine, a guide frame extending along each rib of the working place, means adjustably connec ing said guide frames together including a transverse guide rail adapted to extend along the working face, and a separate bottom pan extending outwardly from each of said guide frames and from said guide rail and forminga supporting roadway to carry said scraper over irregularities on the mine bottom during travel of said scraper up to, along, and away from the working face, a separate stationary holding jack adapted to be interposed between the ground and the mine roof for holding each of said guide frames in position, a fluid pressure cylinder and piston mounted on each of said jacks and having operative connection with said guide frames for moving said guide frames along the ground independently of each other, and other fluid pressure cylinders and pistons mounted on said jacks and having operative connection with said guide frames for elevating the advance ends of said guide frames,

verse guide rail adapted to extend along the working face, and a separate bottom pan extending outwardly from each of said guide frames and from said guide rail and forming a supporting roadway to carry said scraper over irregularities on the mine bottom during travel of said scraper up to, along and away from the working face, and transverse pivoted connections m said guide frames and said bottom pans which extend therealong, to permit said guide rail and its associated bottom pan to conform to an uneven mine bottom, a separate stationary holding jack adapted to be interposed between the mine roof and the mine floor for holding each of said guide frames in position, support means mounted on said jacks for vertical movement therealcng and supporting connections between said support means and said guide frames, elevating means operatively connected with said support means for elevating the forward ends of said guide frames, a separate movable holding jack for the forward portions of the pivoted portions of each of said guide frames, for holding said pivoted portions of said guide frames from move- ,ment with respect to the ground during the loadconnections.

9. In a head frame for guiding a scraper to pick up loose material from the working face of a mine, a guide frame extending along each rib of the working place, means adjustably connecting said guide frames together including a transverse guide rail adapted to extend along the working face, and a separate bottom pan extending outwardly from each of said guide frames and from said guide rail and forming a supporting roadway to carry said scraper over irregular ities on the mine bottom during travel of said scraper up to, along and away from the working face, transverse pivoted connections in said guide frames and said bottom pans which-extend therealong, to permit said guide rail and its associated bottom pan to conform to an uneven mine bottom, a separate stationary holding jack adapted to be interposed between the mine roof and the mine floor for holding each of said guide v rectilinearly moving said guide frames along the and for holding said guide frames in an elevated Y position to conform to an uneven mine bottom and to position said bottom pan which extends along the working face on top of a roll on the mine bottom.

8. In a head frame for guiding'a scraper to pick up loose material from the working face of ground independently of each other, other fluid pressure cylinders and pistons on said jacks and having operative connection with said guide frames for elevating the advance ends of said guide frames and for holding said guide frames in an elevated position, a separate movable holding jack for the forward portion of the pivoted portions of said guide frames for holding said pivoted portions of said guide frames from movement about the ground, and fluid pressure means on. said jacks for elevating the pivoted portions of said guide frames and for lifting said guide rail and its associated bottom pan above the ground into position to be placed on top of a roll on the mine bottom.

TIMOTHY F. MCCARTHY. 

